After it's Over
by m0rana
Summary: Maka and Soul have been partners for a while, so what happens when they start to fall in love? (Based on the events in the Anime, begins where the Anime ended.)
1. one

_Soooo, the anime ended and I was distraught so here's a crack at what my version of after events would be._

 _I don't own Soul Eater :(_

* * *

I tried my best to make him understand. I tried everything I could think of, but Soul wasn't listening to me at all today.

"Hurry up! The Academy won't wait for us forever, Soul!" I shouted at him from across the apartment. Soul was never an early riser, but we were on an especially tight schedule today, and I was not going to start off the grand re-opening of the DWMA with a tardy on my records.

 _Not that anyone keeps those. Do we even have a record room?_

Kid would get a crack out of this. If there even is an office at his father's school, I bet the symmetry is all out of whack. Leave it to Kid to have a panic attack over vertically and horizontally stacked folders and copy paper thrown together hastily. The look on his face would be priceless.

Almost as priceless as the look on Soul's face right now.

"Maka…" I raised a hand, covering my mouth as to hide my amusement, but this only encouraged Soul's rage, which in turn, encouraged my laughter.

"I'm sorry, Soul. You just," I burst out laughing again. "You got some toothpaste on your nose, how did you even… Oh, Soul, we've got to go, come on!" I could barely talk I was laughing so hard, nonetheless, we really needed to be at the Academy.

Like, right now.

"You rush me, laugh at me, and then shove me out the door. This is so not cool, Maka." Soul complained to me as we started to climb the stairs of the Academy.

 _These stairs always give me the chills._

 _So._

 _Many._

"We're going to have to run Soul, or we'll never make it."

"I know, and it's not cool at all." Soul groaned.

"Quit whining and start running!"

"Whatever you say, Maka."

The bell was ringing by the time we made it through the doors to our usual classroom and to our seats. I waved to Tsubaki, and noticed that Kid, Liz, and Patty were sitting right behind them.

"Patty! It's not straight!"

"Kid! You're so silly!" Patty giggled at him in her cheery voice. She spotted me and waved, catching Liz's attention.

"Hey Maka, Soul." Liz said as she noticed us, still trying to pay attention to Kid, who was slowly moving towards the floor, crying the whole way down as he slithered out of his seat in defeat.

"Liz, it's not straight! The symmetry, my perfect symmetry…" Kid cried to himself.

"Kid listen, it's okay. One strand of hair is not going to kill- "

"This one is off, too!" He blubbered.

"Okay, well, two strands are basically the same as one."

"Oh, Father, I have failed as a Grim Reaper. I am not fit to live." I laughed and Soul chuckled as we watched Kid's meltdown.

"Patty." Liz looked to her younger, perkier sister.

"Right." She said with a smile, her eyes squinting.

"Okay Kid! Shut up, and get back in your chair! Class is starting, are you going to be more of a screw up and delay the perfect day schedule you created? Huh?! Are you?!" Patty yelled into Kid's ear.

"No ma'am." Kid mumbled as he got back into his chair with the help of Liz.

"Patty can be scary sometimes, don't you think?" Soul asked, shaking his head and turning his attention back to the front of the class.

"Yeah, for sure. Kid never stood a chance." Soul looked at me and snickered. He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it when the door to the class opened.

 _Stein?_

"Welcome back to the Death Weapon Meister Academy. I will resume my position as your teacher now that I am feeling well again." He looked at me and winked. A sign of his gratitude for what had happened just a couple of weeks ago. Beating Medusa was no easy task, but freeing Stein and Crona from her grasp were the two good things that came out of it all. I would do it again, if it were to rescue them.

I looked around for Crona, not seeing him at first. Then I noticed him sitting next to Kim and Jacqueline, laughing with them at something Kim had said. I smiled, it was so good for Crona to be making friends. He looked up and saw my staring. He smiled and stuck his tongue out at me. I stuck mine out to tease him, making him laugh again.

Crona really had grown out of the shell his witch, in more ways than one, of a mother forced him into. It still irks me that he was mistreated and used by Medusa for her own evil goals, however, I'm so proud of how far he's come, despite all of the trials he has endured over the course of his life.

"Soul look, Crona's making friends. Isn't it great?" I whispered in his ear, careful not to disturb Stein's current refresher about school rules.

 _There aren't that many, shouldn't take him this long every single time._

Soul glanced over to where I nudged him to look. His mouth twitched upwards just a tad, and his gaze softened when he looked back at me.

"You really did a number on that kid, didn't you Maka?" He said, leaning his head back to stare at the ceiling. "He's doing good, because of all the help you gave him. I'm proud of you."

"Me?"

"Yeah, you." He said, sitting up to face me again. "You got over your anger, and saved him instead of taking that pent-up rage you had out on another victim that was hurting just like us. That takes a lot of power not to give in to the madness. You helped me with that, too."

"Soul…"

"You're a pretty cool partner," he said, turning back to the roof, "Maka."

I blushed, quickly refocusing my attention back towards Professor Stein.

 _What is this?_

I felt my throat become dry, and my stomach flip around nervously.

 _What is happening?_

"Maka, would you like to dissect this rabbit's foot?" Stein's question brought me back to the real world, although I wasn't sure if it was better than the world in my head.

"Come on, Maka. Maybe you'll get lucky." Soul touched my shoulder, encouraging me to participate today for some odd reason. His sudden interest, and the heat beneath his hand sent a wave of panic down my body.

Time to cut some poor rabbit open.

Correction, some poor rabbit's foot open.

As I walked down to the front of the classroom, I could feel Soul's gaze on my back the whole time.

 _Everybody is looking at me right now, don't be stupid._

I shook my head, and straightened my jacket as I approached Stein. I couldn't think about anything else now, just on the task in front of me. The professor chuckled a bit, like he could read my mind.

I wouldn't put it past him, that man can do anything.

"Alright, Maka. Let's begin."

I gulped. Soul's going to feel this when we get home, I've got a few hard-covers just waiting around to be used, and I'm itching to wield something other than a scythe for once.

* * *

"Maka! Ow, stop it, that, ugh, hurts!"

"That's what you get for making me dissect a poor…" I shivered, trying to hold back the rest of the vomit I unceremoniously threw up after the first incision. More chills ran down my spine when Soul threw back his head, mouth wide, and started howling in laughter.

"Why are you laughing at me, Soul?!" I said, holding back a smile. For some reason nowadays, whenever Soul let go of his "cool guy" charade, I found myself looking at him, even thinking of him in ways that made me uncomfortable. Something was wrong with me, I was sure of it, but it's not like I could ask Mira about it. Our school nurse deals with stab wounds and cuts, not girl problems.

I started heading to my room when his voice stopped me.

"Maka, where are you going?"

"My room." I answered. I couldn't handle this.

 _Now I sound like Crona._

"It's not even dark out yet." He tilted his head a little bit, trying to get a confession out of me.

"I didn't get much sleep yesterday, so I'm going to try and catch up tonight."

"Oh, okay. I guess that's cool."

"Night, Soul."

"Night, Maka."

I trudged to my room, slightly defeated. I wanted to stay with Soul, but right now, things were weird, and I needed distance to figure them out.

My thoughts ran and tumbled around for another hour or so, before I heard it. It was dark out, and I could tell all the lights in the apartment were out, and yet…

Soul was playing the piano again. He does it when he thinks I'm asleep, or I'm not home, but since we're together so much he hardly does it anymore. He's a prodigy when it comes to the keys. He wouldn't be able to see them in this kind of darkness, but he never missed a note, or played the wrong key. Tonight, it was much lighter compared to his other dark compositions. I could tell it wasn't for him, or about him, because none of his baggage was palpable. It was sweet and soft, like a melody for love and peace all wrapped into one.

Soul doesn't sing, he never did. But his voice is already so soothing to my ears I never needed him to.

So, when he started talking, I creeped closer to my door so I could listen to him.

 _You're bright and lovely,_

 _Overflowing with grace and power._

 _You're an ocean breeze that smells of home,_

 _Blooming like a spring flower._

 _I'm the shade under your tree,_

 _You should've noticed by now._

 _Everything you are, everything you do,_

 _Has changed my life somehow._

 _How you could be my sun and my moon,_

 _I will never understand._

 _You bring the light to my world,_

 _And yet somehow the darkness still comes in._

 _I want to be better for you,_

 _I'm trying my very best._

 _But you leave me alone and lie,_

 _Saying you need to get more rest._

 _The madness creeps in,_

 _Even though you try to hold it back._

 _Sometimes you're the reason it rules me,_

 _And it all just fades to black._

I stumbled back to my bed, and as the last chords of his beautiful playing rang out, and he spoke the last few lines of his heart-wrenching poem, I curled up and trembled to sleep, trying to hold back all the emotions he left roaring inside of me.

* * *

 _How do you like Soul as a musician and a poet? Trust me, he won't be bursting through the gates with poems every chapter, but every once in a while, Maka may inspire him to do so ;)_

 _Soul is still the cool guy we all know and love, I promise! But this, to me, is what I imagine Soul's true nature is; part dark, yet part sweet as well._

 _If anything, this story is going to be about the whole gang going on adventures, while Soul and Maka discover their feelings for each other, it's going to be sweet!_

 _Disclaimer: This is based solely on what we saw in the Anime, **not** the Manga. _


	2. two

"Alright, this week we will start the trials to see who will be qualified to receive two-star meister status."

"Finally! I will definitely surpass God now!" Black Star chimed from beside me. I rolled my eyes. He was so full of energy in the mornings, I don't know how Tsubaki could handle him.

Professor Stein cleared his throat. "As I was saying, two-star meister status is an important feat for one-star meisters such as yourselves. You gain access to a whole new section of books in our library, as well as the ability to take on harder missions. Even so, this is extremely difficult to do, and only the sound in soul, mind, and body will be able to receive this status. Again, I must warn you, this is not an easy task. In fact, over the years, students have even lost their souls, or their lives trying to gain this title. The worst, however, is when a student becomes unable to wield or become a weapon ever again. Living with that pain, well, I can tell you it will drive a person mad."

Everyone in the classroom was quiet. Even Black Star was listening intently to what the professor was saying.

I looked at Soul, but he was already glancing at me with a worried expression on his face. When he saw my panic, he turned his frown into a smile.

"We can do it Maka. I mean we defeated a Kishin, this should be easy. Cool partners like us should have no problems."

"Yeah, I guess you're right, Soul. Even so..." I trailed off, the worry overtaking my train of thought.

Soul nodded, like he understood what I was going to say, even if I didn't know myself.

"Alright Tsubaki! We're finally going to get to go on harder missions! Then everyone will know how powerful I am!"

Tsubaki just laughed. "Black Star, it's not going to be that simple."

"Who needs simple, when you've got Black Star?!"

"I don't think that makes any sense." Tsubaki said quietly, trying not to damper his mood.

"I will destroy every last obstacle that's in our way, and then I will rip…" Black Star droned on and on, while Soul, Tsubaki, and I just laughed.

"Will somebody shut him up?" Liz complained.

"Yay! This time I made a giraffe!" Everyone, except Black Star of course who was still rambling, turned their attention towards Patty, who had… uh, made another giraffe out of paper.

"Patty, you made one last time." Kid commented, before screaming and falling back into his chair. "The left ear Patty, fix the left ear!" So, as Kid and Patty worked together to fix the giraffes necessary symmetry, and Black Star continued his impromptu speech on world domination or…

 _Was he talking about food now?_

"… I will eat my enemies for breakfast, like they're a nice stack of pancakes I smacked flat, drizzled with their own blood and tears, and then I…"

"Oh brother." I muttered to Soul.

"Tell me about it." He sighed. "Hey, speaking of food, don't forget you're cooking tonight."

"Yeah, yeah. What's the menu look like?"

"I think it's screaming pasta." He answered, with a dramatic suave unusual for him.

"Pasta it is. Meat?"

"Balls."

"Gotcha… drizzled in?"

"Creamy white sauce." He hummed as he spoke, licking his lips with feigned hunger.

"We don't have any of that right now."

"Well then, I guess I can settle for some red stuff, cool guys like me don't make such a big deal about low storage." We both laughed at that. We really do need to go shopping again, but we've been so busy lately it's been hard to do anything else besides fix the mess that Asura left behind.

"You're back." Soul said, looking mellow again.

"What do you mean?"

"You were sad, but now you're cool again." He mumbled, turning his head away like he was embarrassed. My mind flickered back to last night, and the music he played. More specifically, the words he spoke with such passion and emotion.

"Yeah, I guess." I muttered, just as embarrassed as he was.

"Anyways, I think it's time to pull Black Star out of his stupor."

"Why's that?" I smiled, grateful for the change in subject. Soul seemed to relax, as well.

"He's started reenacting the fight with the Kishin again."

"Okay, you're right. Before Ox gets thrown into the board again."

Soul grinned as he walked over to Black Star, and with a friendly punch to his cheek, they both stumbled outside the classroom, wrestling like they usually do.

"Our boys are quite the children, aren't they?" Tsubaki said.

"You're right about that." I said. "Come on, Professor Stein."

"I swear, you children make me feel old." He huffed as he followed us outside to spectate. Today was off to a pretty natural start, and I even felt myself calm down a bit after all of the stress the past month has brought upon us.

The DWMA was feeling like home again.

* * *

After Soul and Black Star fooled around for a little bit to get out of class, the three meisters and our four weapons convened. Death the Kid, Elizabeth and Patricia Thompson, Black Star, Tsubaki Nakatsukasa, Soul Eater Evans, and myself were all in a group. We did missions together, partied together, and even took down Asura the Kishin together. I would die for any of them, and they would do the same for me.

"Alright, now that we have assembled, there is a slight issue at hand." Kid started. "You see, I talked more with my father about these trials, and he regretfully informed me that the trials are to be done separately. There is no teaming up for this, only weapon and meister may work together."

"Hey that's no fair, Kid. You've got two weapons!" Black Star blurted out.

"You could've had more than one partner if you wanted Black Star, but you scared everybody else off." Liz blurted out.

"It's alright Black Star, we can do it." Tsubaki said gently, putting a hand on his shoulder. Black Star huffed and stuck his face up, but his entire demeanor changed. Tsubaki really was the best partner for him, as she was the only one ever able to calm him down. It amazed me just how quick Black Star shut down for her.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Just so you know, when it comes down to the two of us Kid, I'm gonna wipe the floor with you."

"How's that?" Kid taunted.

"I'll just cut your hair."

"No! NO! Please don't cut my hair, I'll let you win I promise!" Kid whined.

"Now you've done it Black Star." Liz moaned. "Patty…"

"Right!" With one motion, she smacked Kid so hard in the face he fell down whimpering.

"Sorry." He murmured as Patty stroked his head.

"Aren't you forgetting a pair?" I asked, friendly anger boiling up inside of me. I loved these guys, but they forget I'm here all the time.

"Who?" Black Star and Kid said in unison while turning to look at me. The honest confusion on their faces ticked me off even more, as they started bickering back and forth again.

"You're forgetting us." Soul said, with a smirk on his face. "Maka and I are going to crush you punks."

"Mhm." I hummed. "Count on it!"

"Whatever you say Maka. But you're still going to make me dinner sometimes when I beat you, right?" Black Star joked, making Tsubaki giggle.

"Both of you are going down." Kid added.

"Hey guys, I didn't think you had to beat each other, I mean you just can't work together. There isn't a limit to who can win right?" Patty wondered aloud. Everyone stared at her like she was a genius, which was weird enough in itself, but she was absolutely right.

"Just letting you know, if we must battle each other, I'm not backing down. I'm a reaper after all."

"Yeah, but I'm still going to crush you, Kid."

"And I'll let everyone know you both were beat by a girl." Soul promised. I looked at him, eyes full of thanks and admiration. Never once had Soul ever let me down, and never once has he ever let anyone think down on me.

I blushed, twirling my thumbs as I stared down at my feet.

Soul noticed, so he blurted out that we had to leave to the others. They all said their farewells, and before long we were headed home again.

I could feel his soul trying to touch mine, so I let it. Immediately, it was like fresh air poured down into my lungs, as my system flooded with Soul.

 ** _Maka, are you feeling sick?_**

 _No, I'm quite alright, don't worry._

 ** _Okay, if you're sure…_**

 _We didn't have to leave because of that._

 ** _It's alright, I wanted some of your pasta anyways._**

 _Alright, but you better clean up the living room so we can watch a movie later._

 ** _Deal._**

The rest of the walk back to the apartment was silent, but it was peaceful. I could still feel Soul's soul inside of me, making sure I wasn't lying, but it started retreating little by little until it was gone completely when we reached home. I frowned at myself for feeling disappointment.

As I cooked dinner, I could hear Soul rummaging throughout the house, sorting blankets and putting away clothes; that sort of thing. We ate in silence, but this time it was awkward, a completely reverse atmosphere from the walk home. It made me nervous, and filled my mind with trifling anxieties.

"Stop drifting, Maka." Soul advised.

"Y-yeah, you're right. Sorry."

"Don't apologize. You did nothing wrong." His voice was harsh almost, like he was mad about something.

"Soul, what's wrong?" I asked him.

He glared at me for a long time before he said anything. "You need to pay attention more. That's it, Maka."

"Oh, okay. Yeah I guess I am kind of careless."

"Careless, a complete drag, boring, and a brat. But you're careless because you're brave, you're a drag because you know how to prioritize, and you're boring because you read, which makes you wicked smart. Hell, you're only a brat because we all deserve it. So, stop drifting away. Stop wondering and worrying about every little thing you do. It's alright, Maka."

"Soul…"

"It's whatever. I just want my cool partner back." I nodded my head, cheeks reddening by the second. I turned away from him and started cleaning up the kitchen. After a few moments, Soul was helping me, and then we were joking and rambling on and on like we used to do at the very beginning of our partnership.

It felt good, like I was myself again. Leave it to Soul to always know how to get me back onto my feet.

"Alright," I started after we finished cleaning the kitchen. "What kind of movie are we going to watch tonight?"

"Hmm… I'm not sure."

"Oh, I know!" Someone cheerfully proclaimed behind us.

"Oh, hey Blair." Soul replied.

"Let me pick for you guys." She smiled mischievously.

"Alright, just not some chick flick again. That was so uncool." Soul groaned, and I had to agree. The last movie she picked out was as uninteresting as it was corny.

"Okay what about action?"

"Fine by me, Maka?"

"Sounds good." I smiled.

This time around, Blair picked out a good movie, one with lots of fight scenes that Soul and I enjoyed critiquing. She was slinking around in her cat form today, thankfully. I don't know if I could deal with human Blair today, she was a nightmare sometimes.

Today was good. It really was.

 _I'm happy._

 _Right?_

I looked at Soul.

 _I'm happy, aren't I?_

 _Then why do I feel so distraught?_

 _Why does happiness… feel like this?_

* * *

 _I've always loved the idea of a Soul Eater trials arc, so off we go!_

 _Special thanks to my reviewer, people like you make me want to keep writing :)_


	3. three

We were headed to class the next day when I felt something.

"Soul, do you sense that?"

"Yeah, not cool."

"Ugh, the nerve of that man." I scoffed.

 _Papa._

"My darling Maka! I missed you, oh daddy missed you so much- "

"Maka CHOP!" With a hard smack upside his head, Spirit Albarn was sent into a near-comatose state, huddling in his misery in a corner across the hall. "Let's go Soul."

"Wait Makaaaaa!" My dad was one hard man to crack open, I'll give him that. But my Papa was a horrible man, cheating on Momma with every woman he laid his eyes on.

"Soul, why don't I hate him?" I questioned.

"Simple, I mean, he is your father, and despite his antics, he still loves you. Anybody could tell you that." Soul stopped after that, seeing how the look on my face changed.

"Anyways, Maka, what's our strategy for the trials?" Soul asked, quickly changing the topic.

"Well, I think I want to keep KISHIN HUNTER and GENIE HUNTER under wraps for now. If no one sees or feels the power of those two moves, then no one can learn how to combat them. Besides the most they could do is scare our opponents into submission. They're not really useful for anything else, unless our opponent is evil."

"I was thinking the same thing. I just don't know if a scare tactic would work on our classmates. We're all reckless enough to charge at things blindly, I don't know how much those two moves would affect their game."

"You're right. We'll have to come up with a plan later, but I'm sure those attacks are going to be useful, one way or another."

We both nodded and wrapped up our discussion as we entered the EAT classroom once again.

* * *

"Today marks day one of the SSMT, or the Second-Star Meister Trials. I hope you are all ready to begin." Before Professor Stein could continue, there was a loud explosion just outside of the classroom. As the class exchanged murmurs, I felt Soul reach out his soul to mine. I latched onto his soul quickly, immediately awakening the shared bond between us.

 _Soul, I think something's off._

 ** _Yeah, can you sense anything?_**

 _One soul, it's… Soul, it's huge. But there's something familiar about it…_

 ** _Familiar how?_**

 _It doesn't seem hostile. In fact, the soul feels like its happy._

 ** _What a sick-minded-_**

 _No, Soul! It's not, I can't believe it took me this long!_

 ** _What, Maka?!_**

"Lord Death." Giddy with relief I turned to Soul, relief washing over his face.

"Class settle down. Lord Death is just getting the DWMA ready for you. Don't worry, we are about to begin."

Just then, the door to the classroom opened a smidge, allowing Lord Death himself to stick his head through. "Sorry, kids! Got a little carried away, but we're ready for you!"

"Time to begin. Everyone at the ready, today's trail is a massive fight to the finish. Each weapon-meister pair will be transported to a certain spot in the school. When you hear the signal, which should've been the explosion you just heard, you may begin. There are seven Kishin eggs spread throughout the grounds, and by this time tomorrow, those of you who possess the eggs make it through this round, as well as adding another soul to your repertoire. However, you are not allowed to eat your eggs until time is up. Everyone understand?"

Nods of confirmation from all of us students told Professor Stein we were ready. In a flash, our favorite zombie Sid appeared beside Stein in the front of the room.

"FORCED BURIAL!" Sid shouted from the front of the classroom. Suddenly, the floor opened up beneath Soul and I, causing a yelp of surprise to escape from my mouth.

"Maka, I gotcha!" Soul cried out as he reached over to grab my hand, pulling me towards him. We held onto each other as we fell into the darkness below us. I could feel Soul's protective nature kick in, as he cradled me in his arms. He twisted us around so he was below me just before we crashed to the ground. Light flooded the space we were in, and it took my eyes a second to adjust.

"Soul you stupid idiot!" I punched him in the arm, not caring whether he was hurt or not.

"Ow, Maka, you're making it worse…" Soul moaned, clutching his arm with his hand as he struggled to sit up. I pushed him back down, my face hovering above his.

Suddenly I felt nervous by the intimacy of it all, and almost lost my nerve, but I wasn't going to let this go.

"Soul, you can't do stuff like that! Especially not now!" I was so frustrated by his actions that I felt like punching a hole through a wall.

"Maka, I will always protect you. Always, you're my meister. Let someone else protect you for once."

"That's not the point! What if you had seriously gotten hurt, and we lost this stupid contest, because you broke a leg or something. All so you could protect me, when you didn't even have to take the blunt of the fall. It doesn't make sense to me. It was unnecessary- "

"No, it wasn't Maka! I don't get hurt as easily as you, so protecting you is our best chance of winning!"

"You can't just throw yourself down like that, Soul! That kind of thinking will make us lose."

"And your way of thinking is just as screwed up." Soul was mad now, I could tell by the tone of his voice.

For some reason, I started feeling slightly aloof, like I inhaled something I shouldn't have. I tried to reach my soul out to Soul, but I couldn't feel it for some reason. I felt my mind take a backseat to something else, no, _someone_ else.

 _What is happening to me? I have to warn Soul, something is wrong._

I walked towards him, hand outstretched.

 _What am I doing? I'm not the one moving!_

He didn't back away, although his red eyes did widen a tad. "Soul, I'm sorry. I don't like it when you're mad at me." I touched my hand to his cheek, no longer in control of my own body.

"Maka…" He whispered, barely audible, as I felt his face get hot beneath my hand.

 _Soul, it's not me! Something's wrong!_

"W-what are you doing?" He breathed, his voice fading in and out. My hand was moving down to cup his chin, while the other shifted to rest on his chest, steadily trailing downwards. I felt my mouth twist into a smirk, like I was a cat who just got her mouse.

 _Oh my… no, no, no! This is not happening!_

"Soul, you're going to catch a fever if you get any hotter." I whispered into his ear, unable to control my own voice. It sounded like me, but with ulterior motives. He should know better, he'll figure it out soon.

 _Is this part of the test?_

My hand was pushing up underneath his shirt, grazing his sculpted chest like I was his inspector. I felt every curve, and somewhere deep inside my mind where I watched these events unfold, I was blushing profusely. Soul just stared at me, a new emotion swirling in his eyes.

"Not… cool… Maka." His husky voice must have flipped a switch in the brain of my alternate self, because I rushed forward until our lips were barely apart. I bit my bottom lip, anticipation building.

 _Back up! This is crazy, what am I doing? Oh, this is so bad!_

Suddenly, Soul's lips moved even closer to mine, if that were even possible. I was scared, because not only would this be my first kiss, but the girl Soul would be kissing was not even me.

 _Please, Soul. It's not… it's not me. Even if it is my… no, it's not me. See it, see through this, please!_

I felt my eyes close, and then… a force shoved me backwards, until I couldn't feel Soul's body heat anymore.

"You're not Maka." He was breathing heavily, like he was exhausted.

My body let out a sigh of defeat, while I let out a sigh of relief. "So much self-restraint, little boy. Welcome to the trials Soul Eater Evans and Maka Albarn. Your greatest weaknesses have both been overcome. Now, you may begin." I was talking, but this time it didn't sound like me at all. It sounded like a seductress, someone you'd find in Chupa-Cabra's serving cold drinks and hitting on my cheat of a father.

Then, her presence was gone, and the horribly awkward situation over.

"Soul, it wasn't me, I swear- "

"I know, Maka." He grunted, like he was pained.

"What's wrong, Soul?"

"Nothing." He blurted out.

"I'm sorry you had to suffer through all of that. You probably would've preferred someone like Blair- "

"You've got it all wrong, Maka."

"W-what do you mean?" Soul was averting my gaze, and my heart was pounding, unsure of what he was going to say next.

"You're… you're not that bad." He mumbled. My cheeks burned. "Let's just, get going okay?"

"Y-yeah, let's just…" I took a deep breath. "Yeah, let's go Soul."

He smiled then, and I could feel the tension leave the room.

"Let's go get ourselves a Kishin egg."

* * *

We ran down the deserted hallway we were dumped in, only to find that the school was different from what we remembered. Soul suggested we find familiar ground, and I agreed, so when we found a solid wall instead of our classroom door, we knew something was wrong. There seemed to be no escape outside of the school, meaning all the EAT students were trapped together for a whole 24 hours in an unfamiliar, and rearranged place with no help at all from anyone of authority.

We were so screwed.

 _So utterly screwed._

"Where would Stein hide an egg?" I asked Soul.

"Cool guys like me get smart chicks like you to be our partner for a reason, Maka."

"You're not an idiot, just help me think it through."

"Alright, so we know Stein's messed up in the head, so we can assume a Kishin egg is hidden somewhere creepy."

"What about where he keeps his lab tools?" I suggested.

"No, that's too mild for Stein." He paused, like he was thinking before he rounded on me, idea in his head. "Remember our first fight with Stein during those remedial lessons?"

"Yeah, what about them?"

 _Where are you going with this, Soul?_

"Well, at one point he held you up and wanted to cut you open, even drew lines on you and everything." I shivered, recalling just how frightened I had been that night. Realization dawned on me as I realized where Soul was headed.

"You think he hid it in one of his experiments." I whispered. Shock and truth mixing together into the first lead we had in a while.

"Bingo."

"Soul, you're a genius! It makes so much sense!" Without thinking I rushed forward and embraced him, swinging us around in a circle with my momentum. I felt his breath on my ear, and the past few seconds of euphoria disappeared altogether. I released myself from his arms, embarrassed.

"Yeah, yeah, I guess smart girls rub off on their partners."

"Y-yeah. We need to find Stein's lab inside the school. He's got to have one here where he keeps his test subjects that he brings into class."

"Makes sense. Let's go check it out."

My face was still hot as I let Soul lead us towards where we hoped Stein's lab would be.

The dungeons.

* * *

 _Time to take a trip downtown! Or down the stairs anyhow..._

 _Progress has finally been made between Soul and Maka! Stay tuned to find out who was in control of Maka's body, it may surprise you ;)_

 _I don't necessarily have an updating schedule, but I have been updating a lot these past few days so I have more material up for this story._

 _Thanks to you guys who favorited and followed! It really does keep writers writing :)_


	4. four

It was cold in the underground, colder than it was above. Breezes wafted through the corridors, and the cobblestone walls did nothing to keep the cold out. In fact, it seemed to encourage the temperature, adding a stench of its own; a mixture of mildew and mold. The very air seemed stale, and every time it whipped my face with its harsh embrace, it made my stomach churn from unease and discomfort.

I started shivering, the noise of chattering teeth and nervous breathing the only thing making sound in the tunnels below our school.

The silence had become unsettling, until something started groaning at the end of the hall.

"Soul…" He nodded to me, instantly transforming into a red and black scythe. He flipped around my hand three times, before relaxing into my grip.

 ** _Maka, can you sense anything?_**

 _No, but something's waiting for us. That much I can tell._

 ** _Don't let your guard down._**

 _I won't. You either, Soul._

I continued forward, wary of my surroundings.

As we moved down the passageway, I noticed doors started appearing on the walls alongside us. They were metal, with bolts the size of my hand holding them into place. Each door had a little slot built into it at eye level. Curious, I approached a door to my left.

 ** _Be careful, Maka._**

Once my eyes were level with the small space, I peered inside the room. There was a small, plain bed in the corner that was unkept, although I didn't see anyone in the room. There was a circular window at the very top of the back wall, however, it was too high for anyone to go through.

Anyone normal at least.

 _Hey Soul, there's a window in this room! Maybe they didn't seal up all the exits!_

 ** _How are we going to get in?_**

 _I could use WITCH HUNTER._

 ** _That's worth a shot._**

I was just about to step back, readying to attack the door, when a face popped up on the other side. It scared me so much I fell back on my heels, accidentally knocking Soul to the ground.

 ** _Maka, what happened?_**

 _There's someone in there, Soul. We must be where the prisoners are kept._

 ** _I didn't realize we were that far down. We must be deep into the dungeon then. Might be best to turn back, so we don't get lost down here. This place gives me the creeps. So not cool…_**

 _No, Soul. We have to keep going. We're this close, I know it. Plus, we still don't know what that sound was earlier._

 ** _Okay, whatever you say. Just be careful, Maka. You're not the invincible one._**

I thought about what Soul had said for a long time after that.

He was right, of course. I'm not the invincible one. I'm the one in these fights that gets hurt. I'm the one who usually ends up in the infirmary, even if it's something minor.

But Soul is the one who is always right beside me, holding my hand in a death grip, like he's afraid to let it go. Every time I have to stay the night, Soul stays with me, no matter what anyone tells him. It doesn't matter how long I'm there, or how many nights I have to stay in the infirmary, Soul is always right beside my bed, holding my hand.

I felt a memory pull at the edges of my brain, and...

Suddenly, I was back at the last time I had been severely hurt.

* * *

 _During our second week of clean up around the DWMA, a wooden slab fell from the ceiling of a hallway Soul and I were working in. We had been piling up rubble at one end, and as I was headed towards the pile with a handful of debris, that's when it had fell. It was headed straight for Soul, so without thinking I threw my armful of wreckage to the side and shoved him out of the way, taking his place instead. It was falling at an angle, so it pierced my lower chest directly. Immediately my shirt was stained red. I emitted a small gasp, drowned out as Soul screamed from beside me, catching me as I swayed, not letting me hit the ground. In fact, we never even lowered to the floor. He just scooped me into his arms, running down hallway after hallway, desperately searching for Mira or Stein._

 _I remember fading in and out, the piece of wood still lodged into my side._

 _"_ _Soul… take it… out." It hurt so bad, and the wood kept moving inside of me, making me wince with every frantic step Soul took._

 _"_ _No, I d-don't know h-how." He started shaking. At first, I thought it was from anger. But when a hot tear fell from his chin onto my cheek, I realized he was crying._

 _"_ _Soul, it's okay… alright. Don't worry… so much." He didn't listen to me, he just kept crying. Before I knew it, he was sobbing, nearly tripping over piles of debris in the process. He kept blubbering, saying sorry to me over and over again. My eyes started fluttering from the nausea I felt, and the pain coming from my wound._

 _"_ _No! Maka, stay awake! Do you hear me, stay awake!" His voice was cracking, and it shattered my heart. My partner, he was strong, reckless, and fearless, but the panic and brokenness in his stunning red eyes was too much for me to handle._

 _"_ _I'm… awake." I said, closing my eyes in an effort to block out my surroundings._

 _"_ _Damnit, Maka…"_ _Another round of tears fell from Soul's face, but this time he was more in control of them. His movements weren't as clumsy, and his tears were not as painful for me to feel._

 _He yelled Stein's name a few minutes later, finally finding our teacher after all of that running around. At this point, even with Soul's hand covering the wound, the amount of blood I had lost was getting dangerously high. My forehead was starting to sweat, my blonde hair sticking to my face as a result._

 _"_ _Hey, what happened to Maka!? Soul what happened?" A frightened Black Star screamed across the room. Soul just shook his head, a few tears escaping once again. Stein held up a hand to signal everybody to stay back. He analyzed my wound for a few moments, before looking up at Soul again._

 _"_ _I'll take her to the infirmary- "_

 _"_ _No!" Soul yelped as Stein made a move to grab me from his arms, not even letting him finish talking. "I'll carry her. You just fix this. Please." Soul muttered, as he and Stein rushed towards the school's dispensary._

 _I was out for a few hours before I came to, only to find Soul grasping my hand, his face hung and full of grief at my side._

 _I was about to say something, but he interrupted my train of thought when he started talking to me._

 _"_ _Maka, I'm so sorry. I should've b-been paying more at-attention, but I wasn't, and you got h-hurt. It's my fault." He was moaning. It was the cry of a wounded animal, not the cry of a sad, little boy. He took my hand, and put it to his lips, kissing it over and over again. He finally steeled himself, holding my small hand with both of his._

 _"_ _Maka, I swear to you, I will never let you get hurt again. I swear to you on my life, that I will always give mine for yours. You will never be in a place like this again." He kissed my hand one last time, and I felt myself drifting away again._

 _However, sleep did not come until a tear of my own soaked into the pillow underneath of my head._

* * *

"Maka Albarn." A single tear flew off of my face, as I spun to face the voice directly behind me, jerked out of the emotional memory. I gasped, and I felt Soul tense up through our bond.

Standing before us was a woman I had long hoped to see. A woman with blonde hair and green eyes. A woman who had left me behind. A woman who only told me her whereabouts whenever she felt like it. A woman who wasn't home for the holidays, or to even visit her own daughter. A woman who I loved, even when she did little now to deserve it.

"Hello, daughter. Nice to see you again."

 _Mama._

* * *

"How are the children doing?" Lord Death asked Professor Stein.

"It seems that all is well. Only a couple injuries here and there. The first wave of attacks is over already."

"That was always my favorite part! What were some of the antics?"

"That is private Lord Death, even I cannot tell you their desires."

"Of course, silly me!"

"There is an issue, however. It seems Maka Albarn and Soul Eater Evans are in the dungeons."

"Ah, well, it cannot be helped. Maka is going to have to figure it out herself."

"The resemblance is uncanny, nevertheless, the difference in power between originals and their clones is tremendous. If Maka has an inch of understanding about her mother's true power, she would know immediately that it wasn't really her. That is, if she can get past the looks."

"Poor meister Maka, what did Spirit say when he saw her?"

"Nothing. In fact, Lord Death, Spirit looked truly sad. I think that woman has more of an effect on him than he will ever know."

"Oh, to be young and in love!" Lord Death exclaimed.

"Not anymore." Stein huffed. "This is going to be interesting, I wonder how it will all play out."

Lord Death hummed in agreement.

* * *

 _A shorter chapter today, nonetheless, I still think it was one of the better bonding moments between Soul and Maka._

 _To the reviewer who asked about soul perception in chapter one: Absolutely she could have! But I think Maka just wanted to be in the moment. One of the major things I want to include is Maka's fear of trust, so she may have been a little fearful to see into his soul, (I hope that answers your question, pinkies crossed!)_

 _Thanks to the reviews, follows, and favorites, you guys are awesome :)_


	5. five

"W-what…" My breathing was ragged, I couldn't form a coherent word. My mother was… she was here?

 ** _Maka!_**

Why now? Why now of all the times she could've come back? I stared at my mother, registering her appearance. Her blonde hair was trailing down towards her hips now, a few inches longer than the last time I saw her. Green eyes met mine, and I expected to feel something deep down, like a connection. But I felt nothing, because behind her green eyes, there was only cold, crushing darkness that made me want to shrivel up and hide.

She was nothing.

Nothing to me.

 ** _Maka, come on! Pull yourself together!_**

"Why?" I asked, my question barely a whisper, ignoring Soul and choosing to focus on my mother. Choosing to listen to her excuses, because just like Papa, she was family. She was home, and nobody wants to lose their home.

Certainly not me.

"Because, you needed me." Her voice floated past my ear, giving me chills, making me remember that horrible day.

* * *

 _It was the day she left. Papa was nowhere to be found, so it was just me at our house. I didn't know yet, and I remember that morning had been a good one. I didn't have any nightmares, and my parents hadn't fought for a couple days._

 _I thought things were looking up._

 _I was making breakfast when I saw her note taped to the fridge. I dropped the egg in my hand, too focused on what she wrote to pay attention to what I had been holding._

 _Dearest Maka,_

 _Your Mama and Papa have come to an agreement. I will be going away for a while, and unfortunately, I cannot tell you for how long. I love you, try to get along with your dad._

 _There are two sides to every story, Maka. Maybe one day I'll tell you mine._

 _I'll come home when you need me._

 _Love,_

 _Mama_

 _I didn't cry until I realized I dropped the egg._

* * *

Tears prickled the corners of my eyes, as I looked at her, so sure of herself. She really believed I needed her. Instead of melting at her feet, I felt my blood boil. Rage left in a corner for years coming to the surface.

I hadn't needed my mother for a long time. I knew that in my heart. I knew that in my _soul_.

Soul was quiet, and for that I was thankful. It felt like less of a performance if he made himself scarce while I handled this. I did feel him slip back into human form, however, he was keeping a good distance from us. Close enough to step in if he needs to, but far enough away to give us privacy.

"You think I need you?" I started, getting her attention.

"I needed you the first day I got to the DWMA. I needed you when I picked Soul as my partner. I needed you when I started growing taller, and becoming a young woman. I needed you the first time Soul got hurt so bad I thought he would die, when I thought I had lost him. I needed you when I had to pick out outfits for all the balls and galas I attended. I needed you when I was fighting for my life. I needed you when I was sick, and Papa was away. I needed you when I realized my mother was not coming back home. I _needed_ you, but _you weren't there_." I felt my cheeks, and noticed they were wet, slick from crying. A heavy sob racked through my body, tension from years of holding back the pain of my mother's departure threatened to take me over. I pushed it down, all of it. I was the strong one. I was the one who stayed and fought for my life, and the lives of the people I loved. I'm not the one who abandoned them.

My mother told me once I needed bravery.

I was trying to be brave now.

"I don't need you now. I've figured it out on my own." I stuck my head up in defiance, begging her to disagree.

My mother paused, considering everything I had said. She looked shocked, but underneath all the emotions she showed on her face, there was a sense of acknowledgment, almost like she was impressed.

"It's a shame, really. If your mother were here, I think that you would have hurt her feelings."

"What, wait a sec- "

But before I could finish, she was gone.

I staggered on my feet, almost losing my balance.

"Soul…" I whimpered, lips trembling. In a second he was in front of me, arms open as if to welcome me in. "What just… I d-don't understand…" I managed to utter a few words before I fell into his chest, sobbing like I was that little girl again who had just lost her mother. Crying because Soul was holding me, and I felt safer than I ever did with either of my parents.

Crying because Soul felt like home.

"It's okay, Maka. You did so good. It was just a fake. She's not real. It's alright." He pulled me closer, running his hand through my hair. I cried louder at his touch, the comfort and emotion I was experiencing overwhelming me. His back was against the wall as we sank to the floor, Soul holding me as I curled up beside him.

That's when I noticed he was holding something.

"S-soul, what are you holding?" I sniveled, the traces of my breakdown remaining.

"She had a Kishin egg inside of her. I think that she was part of the test."

"But why her? Of all people…"

"Maybe it wasn't so much of who she was to you, but who she was in general. She was famous around here, all of us knew her. She would have scared anyone else. It just so happened that we were the ones that ran into her."

"Just our luck."

Soul nodded, before he became serious. "I think a small part of you needed that Maka. Even if she wasn't really your mother, I think you've been beating yourself up for a long time over what you would say to her. You needed to let it go." I just nodded. Soul was right, I knew it in my heart, but I still felt pain. It still hurt.

Although, it didn't hurt as much.

"Thank you, Soul. For everything."

He swatted the air like it was nothing.

"No." I turned to look at him, my eyes more intense than usual. "For everything." He swallowed nervously, but he didn't look away. Satisfied that he understood, I resumed my previous position, welcoming his warmth once again. He smelled like a combination of fresh laundry, and the ocean. I always did love the smell of the sea. He was a breath of refreshing air, and it was oh, so intoxicating.

I could feel his hand trail down my arm, before I even realized where it was headed. I shifted my body, so I was closer to him. His hand paused, but then moved slower, surer of its movements, more content to take his time. His fingers were in my palm, and then he was holding my hand interlocking his smooth fingers with my calloused ones. His thumb was drawing circles on the back of my hand, as he twisted his head to the side. His nose and mouth were resting on my hairline, and when he took a breath, I felt chills roll down my spine.

"Let's just stay like this for a while. We have what we came here for." Soul's voice was husky, a tone I have never heard before from him.

"Yes, let's stay just like this." I said to him. His other hand started twirling a strand of my hair that had come loose sometime during the competition, probably during the fall. His mouth was beside my ear, close enough to kiss it if he wanted.

The thought made my cheeks burn.

But instead of kissing, Soul thought biting was appropriate. He tugged at my ear lobe with his teeth, before letting go. He moved to my neck, kissing down to my shoulders.

"Soul…"

That's when we heard a loud bang sounding from down the corridor, back towards the way we came. Soul groaned into my collarbone, sending vibrations scrambling down my body.

"When we're done with this stupid contest, we're going to talk."

"Absolutely."

"But for now, you're just going to have to wait, Maka." His face was still pressed against my chest, his rapid breathing giving me goosebumps. With one more feather-light kiss, Soul offered me his hand.

"Let's go say hi." He smirked, as he transformed into a scythe. I was still in a trance, but I managed to stand on my own. I ran my hands down his blade, marveling at how sharp and strong of a partner I had.

I kissed the top of his handle, before I melted into the darkness, slinking towards whoever dared to enter these occupied dungeons.

* * *

"So, Maka beat her mother." Spirit huffed. "Of course she did, my Maka is too strong to be defeated by that woman." He continued praising Maka for a few minutes before Stein grew tired of hearing him talk.

"That clone of your ex-wife was not meant for battle. She was meant to stimulate a reaction, invoke fear in their souls." Stein correct, ignoring Spirit's ongoing ramblings. "Her mother was an extraordinary meister, Soul understood that. I'm surprised he figured it out that quick. Very impressive."

"My Maka was impressive. Didn't even have to touch that woman and she defeated her."

 _If he's this worked up now, I can't imagine what would've happened if I hadn't cut the feed. You'd think those kids would know they were being watched…_

"Spirit, have you talked to her, yet?" The death scythe's face darkened, suddenly distant and disturbed.

"Her mother left for good reason. What is there to talk about?"

"Everyone knows you would take back that woman if she gave you her hand."

"I've tried, Stein. That woman is stubborn."

"That woman has good reason to be."

Spirit paused before continuing. "Maka doesn't know, but her mother has been back in town for a week now. She's rented a place close to the DWMA, but she won't come out. I've had contacts tracking her ever since she left Death City, making sure she was safe, but I never expected her to be back, let alone come back and never visit my Maka."

"Well, I'll be damned. You do care for her." Stein laughed.

"I've told everyone I love Maka and her mother. I'm no liar, Stein."

"No, no you aren't. So that's why you froze when you saw her? You've been tracking her, so you would've known she was in town."

"I thought she came to talk, but it was just your stupid clone."

"We tried to hide it before you saw, but you're too damn quick, Spirit."

"Don't you know it. How is my Maka doing?" Stein didn't miss the change in subject, but it was clear Spirit was done talking on the matter.

"She is doing fine."

"Let me see."

"No, I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why?" Spirit huffed.

"Because, I can't handle your commentary!"

"But I want to see my Maka!"

"No!"

"Let me-"

"Reaper CHOP!"

* * *

 _Long time, no update, but I'm back!_

 _I had to write in Lord Death at the end for comedy relief, this chapter was a crazy one to write!_

 _To my lovely reviewers, followers, and those who favorited this story, you guys mean the world! I love your feedback, and if I make any mistakes in my writing, or if you guys have any suggestions, I would love to hear them! It helps a lot!_

 _Also, to my reviewer who pointed out Soul's lack of strength, I promise he will be the tough guy we all know and love just wait on it ;) *hint, hint, the battle sequence coming up*_

 _Stay tuned, and thanks for reading!_

 _-mor_


	6. six

I waited in the shadows, breathing as silently as I could.

 _Soul, I can sense a meister and a weapon._

 ** _Are they strong?_**

 _Very. They're familiar, too._

 ** _How familiar?_**

 _Too familiar._

 ** _Who, Maka?_**

 _They're here._

 ** _Maka, who is it?_**

 _I think it's-_

"Maka? What are you doing all the way done here? Not that I'm complaining, you'd just get in the way of a star like me."

 ** _Black Star._**

"What do you want Black Star?"

"Come on, Maka, don't be like that. We're friends." He said with a smirk. I checked him for a Kishin egg, praying he was just coming down for a visit. "I don't have what you're looking for, but you do. Don't you, Maka?" Black Star licked his lips hungrily, sending waves of panic coursing through my nervous system. I wasn't usually on the receiving end of Black Star's madness.

 _Keep the egg safe, Soul. Don't transform._

 ** _Maka, if he hurts you, I will kill him._**

 _I won't let you transform Soul, if I get a scratch or two, it's worth it for the reward._

 ** _A weapon protects his meister, no matter the cost._**

 _Soul, I can handle this._

 ** _This is not cool Maka._**

 _I know, but I can deal with Black Star._

 ** _I know you can, just don't be an idiot._**

Facing Black Star, I swung Soul into a ready position. I would fight to protect the Kishin egg in our possession. Not even Black Star would take it from me.

He steeled himself. "Maka, you really are stupid. You have no shot against a big star like me."

"You are not taking what's ours. I will not allow it. You have to kill me first."

 ** _Maka…_**

"I won't take it that far, you're still my friend, Maka." He said with an authentic half-smile. It was gone within a flash, though, as Black Star started spinning Tsubaki around his head like a whip. "But I _will_ have that egg." I shivered, Black Star's tone was menacing.

"Besides, how could a scythe meister as weak as you beat someone as great as me?"

"You talk too much." I snarled, before lunging at Black Star.

* * *

"What do you mean they're fighting?"

"I told you," Stein said, exasperated. "Maka and Soul are facing against Black Star and Tsubaki."

"Because of what Ox Ford said?" Spirit grumbled.

"Smart move, that Ox. Hiding in the prison dungeons was a bold move, but he got valuable information. He was probably searching for an egg as well before Maka and Soul found it." Stein felt a sense of admiration for that boy, he was a bright spirit indeed, as well as a fine meister.

"No matter, my Maka can defeat a kid like Black Star with one swing of her scythe." Spirit hummed approvingly. "Yes, that's it, Maka darling." The live feed of the fight was running in the mirror inside the Death Room.

"But, who will win?" Lord Death finally voice his opinion. "Oh, what a show! Two of our best weapon-meister pairs battling in an all-out battle for the ultimate victory: securing a Kishin egg!"

"Indeed. Quite a battle it will be." Stein mused.

"Maka, Maka, Maka, Maka…" Spirit waved his hands through the air chanting his daughter's name repeatedly. When he caught the looks the other two meisters shot at him, he shrugged his shoulders. "It worked last time. Maka, Maka, Maka…"

* * *

I inhaled sharply as Tsubaki's ninja form sliced my shoulder, cutting through the sleeve of my shirt.

 _I should've brought my cloak along._

Red stained my sleeves, as I le tout a grunt of pain. That was all Black Star would get from me.

I've had worse.

Swinging Soul around two times, I leapt forward, bring the hilt of his blade down on Black Star's head. But before it could meet his mark, Tsubaki was back in chain scythe mode, the sound of Soul clashing down onto Tsubaki's chain brought a smile to my lips.

Now, we were fighting for real. The adrenaline rushing through my veins was nothing compared to when we faced Asura, but it was just as thrilling. I would not lose.

I jumped into the air, cutting Soul low in an effort to sweep Black Star's leg, but it missed. Black Star was extremely quick, I would need to anticipate his moves in order to win this fight.

 _Faint left. Parry. Swipe to the left, swipe to the right. Uppercut. Fall Back. Side-step, then lunge. Cut right, swing low._

I calculated all of my movements with precision, but I was losing ground.

That wasn't the only thing I was losing.

Black Star was gone.

 _Shit._

 ** _Maka, behind you!_**

I didn't have time to react. The world blurred, until all I heard was, "Black Star BIG WAVE!" I felt his hands press into my back, as I arched into him, breath caught in my throat.

That's when I felt the power.

Black Star's soul hit me with full force, sending me flying a few meters in front of me. We were close to a dead end, so my head banged against the wall, a loud, sickening cracking sound reverberating off of the walls. I slumped forward, barely conscious. I could barely move, my ears were ringing loudly, making my head hurt even worse. My vision filed with spots, as I felt my eyes close, as limp now as the rest of my body. But still... I could fight if I used all of my strength. I knew I could.

Or maybe…

Maybe I didn't have to.

 ** _Maka! Maka, get up! Maka, please... please move. Please... no, no, no! Maka, come on!_**

"Oh no, Maka." Tsubaki had transformed back into her human form. She rushed to my side, tears already forming in her deep blue eyes. She put her hands to the side of my head where I was bleeding, desperately trying anything to wake me up. I was horrible, a monster for making them worry.

But we had to win.

"Maka… I didn't mean to- "

"You…" Soul was back in human form, even after I told him not to.

"Soul I didn't mean to…" I could hear the fright in Black Star's voice.

"I don't care!" I risked a peek at Tsubaki, and to my relief she was still too focused on the boys to pay attention to me. I watched as Soul threw Black Star into a side wall, his hand at his throat.

"If she dies, because of you…" Soul growled, barring his teeth at Black Star. He slammed him into the wall again before letting go. He was to me in a second, holding me in his arms, as he scooped me up, preparing to leave the dungeon.

"Here's your stupid egg, I hope it was worth it." Soul huffed, throwing the Kishin egg to the ground like it was burning him.

 _Soul, get me close to Black Star._

I felt his steps falter, as a small grunt of relief escaped his mouth.

 ** _Maka, why didn't you tell me… I can't believe you... I was so scared…_**

 _It had to be believable. That's our egg, Soul._

 ** _You're mad. I swear you're the biggest idiot I know. I'm furious with you._**

 _I know._

My heart broke at his admission, but we needed that egg. As far as Tsubaki and Black Star knew, I was out cold. Soul backtracked, looking towards Black Star.

I felt Black Star tense, as he expected another onslaught of rage from Soul. But his squeal of surprise was my favorite sound of all. He hadn't noticed when I moved my hand to grasp the hilt of a dagger. He didn't catch on when Soul brought the space between them to a few centimeters. He _did_ notice, however, when the tip of my knife pressed against his throat.

"If you _ever_ slam me into a wall again, I will never forgive you. Give us the egg, Black Star." Tsubaki gasped, but I also felt deep relief flood through her body. Her soul became more stable, and in a way, I think she was happy to give the egg back.

"Take it." She said hurriedly. Black Star opened his mouth to argue, but she threw up her hand, shutting him up. "Find it in your heart to forgive him, Maka."

"He's already forgiven, but there won't be a next time… unless I'm asking for it." I offered a small smile to Black Star, knowing good and well how your emotions could take control over your own actions, just like mine did. I was surprised to see relief in him, as well. He nodded, accepting the defeat, but not really feeling the loss. He was just glad we were all okay.

There's the Black Star I know and love. He may be arrogant, but he knew when he crossed a line... and what lines never to cross again.

Soul gathered me into his arms, supporting me the whole way back to the entrance. Tsubaki was scolding Black Star like a child, and we could hear it as we walked. Normally, I would've laughed, but my head was pounding. I swayed a little, but Soul steadied me.

"Maka, stop."

I froze. "Soul, I can keep going."

"But I can't." He whispered, barely audible.

I heard him.

I heard him loud and clear.

"Maka I want to protect you, that's all I want." He looked at me, his red eyes reflecting the pain I had once felt. That agony was the same agony I felt as I watched Crona slice Soul open with his blade. I sucked in a breath... I had made him feel that way. All to get a stupid egg for this stupid contest.

 _I'm so sorry, Soul._

 ** _Maka, a world without you... is a world I could never live in. Don't make me think I'll ever have to live in that dark place ever again._**

Then his lips were on mine, hungry from months of pining secretly for each other. Months of seeing each other hurt. Months of wondering when one of us is not going to come back alive.

Months of uncertainty poured into this one, certain moment.

He tasted like chocolate, the kind he ate before the contest started. He pushed me against the wall, hands running up and down my arms. I ran a hand through his white hair, ruffling the spikes down to a messier state. One after the other, he undid my pigtails, letting my hair frame my face. He groaned when he saw me.

"I like your hair down, Maka." The way he said my name in that raspy voice of his made my skin burn. Our lips touched again, as his mouth pressed deeper into mine. As soon as it started, he pulled away. I wanted to kiss him again, but he just brought my head to his chest. I rose and fell to the rhythm of his breathing, wondering how someone like me could make his heart race that fast.

I put my arms on his torso, barely touching his collarbone with my fingertips. One of his hands ran through my hair, while the other rested on the small of my back.

A sense of worry ran through my throbbing head. How much longer would this last? This contest was not going to be easy. Not after this, and especially not after everything we've been through together. I would not lose him to a title.

Titles meant nothing.

Soul meant everything.

 _I will lose this tournament if it means saving you. I will give my life to save you. Even if you hate me the rest of your life for it, I will get you out of this alive._

Little did I know, Soul was thinking the same thing.

* * *

 _It finally happened! The battle scene was challenging to write, I hope I did a good enough job on it for you guys!_

 _So, if anyone was wondering why Maka seemed to despise her mother, I assure you that is not the whole story. The core of her feelings will all be revealed in later chapters. It is one of the only things about the anime that I couldn't grasp. In my version, I imagine everything the same, except Maka having mixed feelings about her mother. Those were just the half of them!  
_

 _Thank you to everyone who reviewed, favorited, and followed! I love every single one of you with all of my soul! Stay tuned :)_

 _-mor_


	7. seven

"Is it time, Lord Death?" Stein asked.

"I do believe so! Who are the remaining pairs?"

"Maka Albarn and Soul Eater Evans, Black Star and Tsubaki Nakatsukasa, Ox Ford and Harvar D. Éclair, Kim Diehl and Jacqueline O'Lantern Dupre, Kilik Rung with Fire and Thunder, and Death the Kid with Patricia and Elizabeth Thompson."

"That's… four, five… yes, only six." Lord Death scratched his chin with his overly sized hands.

"One Kishin egg was left unfound Lord Death, only six pairs of meisters passed the first round."

"Why was it unfound?"

"No one was left to find it." Stein smiled. "Your own son put them out of commission. No one was seriously injured."

"Why would he do that?" Lord Death asked.

"Something about seven being a horrible number." Spirit mumbled.

"Ah, I see. Well, six pairs were still successful in making it through to the next round."

"Yes, but should we tell them just what that entails just yet?" Stein asked.

"No, no. Let them rest. It's a big day tomorrow. After all, who would want to give up their weapon?"

* * *

"Congratulations. You have made it to the next round, although, it will only get harder from here. I suggest you all take some time to mill things over with your partners. The next round can start at any time. Rest while you can." After Stein finished debriefing us, he left the room, muttering to himself.

 _I wonder what he was saying..._

"Time to go home, Maka." Soul looked eager to head back home, and I couldn't say I blamed him. We have hardly been able to sleep these past twenty-four hours, let alone relax. A hot bath and some soft, comfy clothes sounded quite nice right about now.

As soon as my feet crossed the threshold of our apartment, I made a beeline for the living room, collapsing on our sofa.

"You can have the bathroom first, wake me up when you're done…" I dozed off, the need for sleep too overwhelming for long conversation.

"You got it." Soul trudged into the bathroom, looking just as bleak and exhausted as I felt. I heard the water turn on as I tried to stay awake, but my eyes were shutting of their own accord, and then…

* * *

 _"_ _Maka… come out and play with us…"_

 _"_ _You know you want to…"_

 _"_ _Don't be shy…"_

 _"_ _Come on… we want to have some fun with you…"_

 _"_ _Don't you want to have fun with us…"_

 _Voices filled my head, making it pound from the noise. Everything was pitch black, I couldn't see my own hands in front of me. Their voices filled the space all around me. I couldn't tell where they were coming from._

 _"_ _No, please… just leave me alone. I'm sorry, but I don't want to play with you, I just want to rest."_

 _"_ _But you are resting, Maka."_

 _"_ _Why wouldn't you want to play with us…"_

 _"_ _That makes us sad…"_

 _"_ _It makes us angry."_

 _"_ _Can you feel that Maka?"_

 _"_ _You made us very angry."_

 _"_ _Wait… pleas- "_

 _"_ _VERY ANGRY."_

 _"_ _WHY WON'T YOU PLAY WITH US?"_

 _"_ _WHY?"_

 _"_ _MAKA, WHAT DID WE DO?"_

 _"_ _WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?"_

 _"_ _YOU LEFT US ALONE."_

 _"_ _WHY WON'T YOU PLAY?"_

 _"_ _MAKA IT WILL HURT IF YOU REJECT US AGAIN."_

 _"_ _WE DON'T WANT TO HURT YOU."_

 _"_ _BUT YOU MADE US ANGRY."_

 _"_ _YOU MUST BE PUNISHED."_

 _Agony ripped through my body like a lightning bolt, sudden and quick, yet devastatingly painful. It was dark… so dark… all around me. I was nowhere, yet they were everywhere._

 _"_ _DOESN'T IT JUST HURT?"_

 _"_ _OH, WE LOVE TO SEE YOU SQUIRM."_

 _"_ _LET'S DO IT AGAIN."_

 _Another round of tremors entered my mind, making me cry out. It was overwhelming; too much for me to handle all at once. The voices, they're conviction, the pain I felt because of their madness…_

 _"_ _I'm sorry… I'm so sorry… just stop. Please stop... it hurts..." I sobbed. I crawled into a ball, covering my ears with my hands._

 _But I couldn't escape my own mind._

 _"_ _DIE."_

 _"DIE."_

 _"DIE!"_

* * *

I shot up from where I had passed out on the couch, panting. Immediately the feeling of nausea crept up my throat, and I barely managed to stumble off the couch due to the sudden dizziness that clouded my vision. I collapsed against the side of our bathroom counter, clutching onto the toilet as I vomited. I was crying again, hot tears soaking the toilet paper I was using to wipe at my mouth and nose. I flushed my shame away.

 _How disgusting._

"Maka?" Soul was standing at the door to the bathroom, his eyes still glazed over from sleep.

I quickly wiped at my own eyes. "I'm sorry to wake you up, everything's fine. You can go back to sleep." He crouched down beside me, not believing a word.

"I was going to move you, but I didn't want to wake you…"

"It's okay." I cursed my voice for cracking. His eyes shot to mine, and the look he gave me shattered any self-restraint I had. I collapsed into his arms, bawling manically. He rubbed my head again, whispering how it was going to be okay. Telling me everything was going to be fine.

"It was h-horrible. There w-were s-so many v-voices, and I couldn't… it hurt so m-much, I couldn't do an-anything." He just held me tighter, kissing the top of my head until I stopped shaking. He grabbed my hands in an attempt to calm me down. I started breathing slower, taking deeper, more filling breaths of air.

"What did they say Maka?" His red eyes looked burgundy in the light of the moon. I couldn't hold back from eyes like that.

 _Eyes like his, you mean._

Nobody had eyes quite like Soul's.

"They were angry at me, because I didn't want to play with them. But I didn't even know who they were, how could I know? I didn't want to play, I just wanted to rest. I told them that and then they got angry, started hurting me, saying terrible things to me. I couldn't do anything about it." I shook my head, trying to get them out of my head. They were gone, but I felt tainted.

Somehow, they had stained me.

"Maka, don't let them hurt you ever again." His eyes were serious. "Promise me."

I didn't know what to say, so I said what would make him the happiest, even if I couldn't really promise him anything.

"I promise."

 _Do you see the emptiness? Can you hear the lies?_

His eyes kept trailing down to my mouth, then back up to my eyes. I found myself doing the same. There was hunger in those red orbs of his, a hunger for me.

It was melting all my resolve into a puddle on this cramped bathroom floor. Nothing mattered anymore. Liar or not, I was telling the truth now.

Even an idiot could see that.

He rushed forward to meet my mouth with his, hand cupping the arch where my head met my neck. He kissed me desperately, tongue pushing against my lips like he was begging for permission to enter.

I let him.

The instant his tongue met mine, I felt our souls connect. Our beings started synching automatically, so much so, that I caught a few of his thoughts.

 ** _Maka…_**

I leaned closer, going deeper into his soul, wanting more from this boy in front of me.

 ** _You've always been the one._**

I brought my hands up to his cheeks.

 ** _I can't believe it's taken us this long._**

I wanted to scream my agreement, but instead I just moved into his lap, hoping he took it as an answer.

 ** _God, I lo-_**

I shirked away from him, slamming my head against the counter top.

"Ow…" I muttered, rubbing the back of my scalp.

"Maka, what… uh, what happened?" His cheeks were tinted red, causing my face to burn from embarrassment.

"Nothing! We can't… you know, um, we have school tomorrow, and uh…" My mind was going blank, my eyes refusing to look at him. "Goodnight, Soul." I stood up and practically flew to my bedroom, locking the door behind me per usual.

Only this time, I turned back around to make sure it was locked before I went to sleep.

I didn't hear Soul leave the bathroom for a few minutes.

I only slept when I heard him sink into his bed, springs creaking from even the slightest amount of weight put on them.

I couldn't manage to fall asleep quickly enough to miss one last thought, however.

 ** _What did I do wrong?_**

Nothing.

You did nothing.

As usual…

 _It was me._

* * *

"Maka, wake up!" I felt someone shake my arm.

 _Soul?_

"What do you mean wake up it's too early…" I froze, breath caught in my throat. "Soul, what time is it?"

"School starts in ten minutes." He looked like he was bracing for impact.

"Oh no, oh no, oh no! Why didn't you wake me up sooner?" His face blushed, triggering a blush of my own to creep onto my face. "Just start your bike, I'll be down in a second."

I raced to my closet and started changing as soon as he left my room. I was still pulling on my cloak while I attempted to brush my teeth, hastily alternating hands while I shoved them into their rightful sleeves. I rinsed my mouth out, and hurried down the stairs, yanking my hair into pig tails as I got on Soul's bike.

I grabbed onto his waist. "Drive."

"On it." He cranked the handles of his motorbike, and before I knew it, we were off, speeding towards an inevitable tardy and a displeased Professor Stein.

I groaned, letting my head fall on Soul's back, as he drove us the rest of the way towards the DWMA, the moments from last night momentarily left forgotten.

* * *

"Late, and late." Stein said, unenthused as we took our seats by Black Star and Tsubaki.

Today was a normal class day. The Second-Star Meister Trials may not be over yet, but those still in the running must complete required day-to-day activities like normal.

Which meant showing up on time to school.

This is the part where someone would say "objective: failed".

"As I was saying, meisters with weapon powers are extremely rare." I perked up immediately. This was something new, although, I can't say I've ever heard of such a person. Weapons like the Death Scythe Justin Law can fight on their own, but meisters who can sprout weapons from their skin?

This was interesting indeed.

"Cases like these only occur when a weapon and a meister come together to bear child. This child can grow up to become a meister, or a weapon, depending on if their weapon powers emerge or stay hidden. If this child grows their whole life without using those concealed powers, they may never present themselves at all. But, if the child's life becomes threated, and the weapon magic remains in their blood, these powers will awaken in order to protect their vessel."

"Isn't that interesting, Soul? I've never met anyone like that before."

"They're probably too cool for people like us, Maka." His tone sounded indifferent, but his eyes were shining, like a little boy who had just discovered a new favorite toy. I smirked, amused by his attempt to feign disinterest.

 _I knew him far too well to fall for that._

* * *

Class ended later that day, and for once I was disappointed. I was desperate for more knowledge, even more so than usual, so I told Soul I was headed to the library. He looked mildly disappointed, but I knew it was a show. He wanted to go searching for answers, too. I just happen to know that he would rather do it alone.

We are alike in that regard.

 _Huh, that's kind of odd._

The doors to the library were already open, hanging ajar at uneven angles, like they were thrown open with different amounts of force.

"These damn doors! What a catastrophe!" A trembling Kid walked in behind me, closing the doors to prevent a panic attack. "Ah, so much better."

I rolled my eyes, surveying our surrounding with caution.

"Kid? Maka?" Black Star looked up from behind an abnormally large stack of books.

"Black Star? What are you doing in the library?" Kid asked.

"I'm not alone. Ox, Kim, and Kilik are in here, too." Three more faces popped up from the table behind Black Star. Poor Kim looked like she was about to faint, which was so unlike her usual personality, that I had to do a double-take.

 _All of the meisters are gathered in one place?_

 _What is going on?_

"If I was not mistaken, I would say that this is round two of the trials." Ox spoke up.

"Ox, what is the meaning of this?" I started panicking, wondering where Soul was. I needed him for this.

 _Why are none of the weapons here?_

 _Where is Soul?_

"Isn't it obvious? The second round is to be completed alone."

* * *

 _Lone wolfs sent out into the fray..._

 _I also want to note that I'm acting on the knowledge that Maka, nor anyone else, has any idea that she has a weapon form, so if you are wondering, that's the angle I am taking!_

 _I'm so happy about last chapter's response! It was a big one to write, so I'm glad you guys enjoyed it!_

 _Everyone who has given this story the time of day... you all mean so much to me. Words just can't express it :)_

 _Until next time._

 _-mor_


	8. eight

Hysteria broke out in the library, but the only thing I heard was one word.

 _Alone._

One breath.

 _Alone._

 _Alone._

 _Alone._

Another breath.

 _Alone._

 _Alone._

 _Ouch._

Everything stopped at once. The room turned quiet. A book lay open, flat on the ground. I massaged the side of my head, already feeling the headache that comes with head injury.

"I'm sorry Maka." Black Star said shamefully. I considered him for a moment, saw how scared he was, and decided against acting.

What can I say…

 _I'm feeling merciful._

"Let's not lose our heads. Got it? Obviously, we are all here for a reason."

"I agree with Maka." Ox started. "We all were intrigued by Stein's lessons, especially as meisters. The lesson today wasn't a coincidence at all. He knew we would all come here to learn more, because we all want the same thing."

"To get stronger." Kim finished for him.

"Kim, darling, you understand me!" Ox crooned. Kim just ignored him.

"Enough. We're just going to have to wait for instructions. Until then, no more throwing books." Satisfied I rallied the troops enough to get us through another hour or so, I trudged to a table on the far side of the room.

Right now, I needed to think.

But all I could think about was Soul.

 _I need you._

* * *

 ** _Alone._**

Soul was all by himself in a prison cell, one of the ones underneath the DWMA.

He heard shouts coming from behind the walls that surrounded him. One of them sounded like Liz.

"Hey, Liz! Can you shut up for a second?"

"Soul?"

"Yeah, what are we doing in here?"

"I don't know! Why are you asking me? Do you know where Patty is?"

"No." Soul sighed.

 ** _This is useless._**

Soul walked back to the bed, and laid down. There was a window like Maka had mentioned earlier, maybe he could get out that way?

 ** _Stay safe Maka. I'm coming._**

* * *

"Sorry for the confusion young meisters. Welcome to round two of the SSMT. I hope you prepared well." Stein announced as he entered the library.

"We prepared with our partners!" Kid shouted. "I need them, I can't fight without them…" He started pacing back and forth, and I felt sorry for him. I knew what it felt like to be useless.

"That was the issue. You cannot be so reliant on each other that you are helpless alone. A two-star meister can fight just as good with their weapon as without them. Prepared or not, we are ready to begin." Blood pounded behind my ears, anger and panic racing through my mind. I couldn't do it without Soul. I just couldn't.

"In Death City, we have hidden the keys to each of your weapons' cell doors. If you can find the correct key, you may rescue your weapon and use them during this round. If not, you must fight alone."

"But who are we fighting?" Kilik spoke up.

"Each other of course." Stein smiled. We all backed away from one another.

"This is a ten-hour tournament. The first five hours are for you to prepare. These hours are a free-for-all. You may fight if you wish, but it may be best to save your strength. Either way, everyone will be partnered up after the first five hours are over, and the fighting will commence. Injured or not, you must fight unless you are unconscious. That being said, these first few hours are a courtesy to you. Use them wisely. You will each fight three separate battles with a different meister selected at random. If there is a repeat, another meister will be selected for you to fight. The two meisters chosen will battle until one of them is unable to continue, or surrenders. At the end of those first few rounds, the three meisters with the most wins will advance. If there is a tie, those meisters will battle it out to secure their spot in the top three."

"Only three of us..." I whisper, exchanging a worried glance with Kid.

 _They were cutting our numbers in half._

"After the top three are announced, they will have the opportunity to receive a prize that will aid them in the final battles. However, this prize comes at a cost that will remain unbeknownst to you until the choice must be made. Each of the top three meisters will face each other one-on-one, and just like with the first three rounds, the meister with the most wins will be the ultimate winner of this round. If there is another tie in the final round, there is another method we use to determine the winner. As I said before, the top three advance, but the winner out of the top three will be granted an exemption from the next round of competition." Stein paused waiting for the news to sink in.

"Meaning, if you win this tournament, you will automatically move on to the fourth and final round." Kim gasped to the left of me.

"What is the prize?" I asked, curiosity too strong to ignore.

"Your weapon." This time, Kim sighed in relief.

There were too many choices, although, that seemed to be the whole point. I could waste the first five hours looking for Soul and never end up finding him, or I may get lucky and find his key before time runs out. I could also make it to the final three and sacrifice whatever I need to in order to bring him back, if I didn't find him in the free time. However, I may never make it to the top three without him, and then all of my efforts would have been fruitless anyways. What do I even need to sacrifice in order to get him? What if I end up finding his key beforehand, so I don't have to worry about it in the end? What if the sacrifice is too great, and I can't get him back anyways?

There were too many opportunities for failure. This wasn't a round of skill, this was a round of luck and endurance. Could you take the pressure, or would you cave? Would you stumble upon your weapon's key out of sheer luck, or not even take the gamble and look for other advantages instead?

Stein started walking towards the doors, before he turned back around to face us. "Happy hunting, your time starts now."

* * *

Ox was the first one out of the door, with Kilik hot on his tail. Black Star didn't even bother using the door, or maybe he did and I just didn't see him leave. I stared at my hands, they were trembling.

 _I was scared._

Kim gave me a look of understanding, before she left the library, too.

Now, only Kid and myself remained.

"What are you going to do?" I asked him, a far-off look in my eyes.

"I think you already know my answer."

"You're going to get Liz and Patty." I said. Of course, that's the only move Kid could make. For all his genius, he sure was predictable.

"I can't fight without them. Can you fight without him?"

"You already know the answer to that."

"Be careful, Maka. They'll want to get you out of the way." He warned. I nodded, and he left me alone.

 _Alone._

 _Alone again._

 _But not for long._

* * *

"So, what do you think Lord Death?" Stein asked him as he entered the Death Room.

"I think you're having too much fun playing mind games with the children."

"My poor Maka, what is she going to do?" Spirit whined.

"Let's find out." With a wave, Lord Death's mirror located Maka. She was talking to Kid in the library, but he was leaving now. She was left alone.

"Why isn't she leaving?" Spirit asked, concern evident in his voice.

"She's thinking, and rightfully so. I've given the young meisters a lot to think about."

"Why aren't the others doing the same thing as my Maka?"

"They don't realize all of their options, yet. In fact, I believe Maka is the only one who truly grasped how many choices they have in this round. If she's smart, she'll figure out how to get Soul out of his prison cell without uprooting half of Death City looking for his key."

"Oh my! Maka is on the move!" Lord Death said giddily.

All three of them watched as Maka ran throughout the DWMA. When she reached the door to the dungeons she paused. She muttered something to herself, and without a moment more to lose, she opened the door and sprinted down the stairs. Once she reached the corridor with the cell doors, she started yelling.

"Soul?! Where are you?!"

"Over here!" As soon as she heard his voice, relief washed over her face. She made her way to a door on her right.

"What is she doing?" Spirit asked.

"Something no one else even considered."

* * *

As soon as I found Soul, my eyes began to water. I was on the verge of crying when I reached his door, but I held it in. I needed to be strong, especially now.

"Maka, what are you doing here?" I explained everything to him; the contest, the rules, and our option if I made it to the top three. He considered what I told him, before he nodded his head a couple of times.

"What is it?"

"You can fight without me, Maka." I felt my heart stop. Out of all the things he could have said, that was the last thing I expected to come out of his mouth.

"I know, just hear me out." He said after one look at my face. "There are no coincidences, not where Stein is concerned. The lesson today may have brought you all together, but the actual information was good, too."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying… maybe you are a weapon, too." The shock on my face probed him on. Although, it was not about the information. I was just surprised he knew exactly what I was thinking. "Listen, I've done a lot of thinking since they put us in here. I tried to escape at first, but those windows are no good. The only thing I could do was think, and I've been thinking about you." When he saw the blush on my cheeks, he grew red.

"Uh, I mean, not like that, but I do think of you, uh, let me just start over. I've been thinking about what the lesson could mean to you. Don't you think it's a little odd that a contest that focuses on losing your dependence of others occurs on the same day Stein teaches us about meisters having weapon powers of their own?"

Everything Soul was saying made sense. I know it did, in fact, I came down here to confirm I wasn't wrong in my thinking, but hearing him say that made it real.

"I know we're right to suspect, but I have so many doubts about whether or not I can do this."

"Maka, don't waste your time looking for a key you'll never find. Learn how to fight."

"I'll get you back once I make it to the top three."

"No, you can't bargain on that. What if the sacrifice is too great?" He was hitting every single one of my worries and fears.

"I'll still do it, Soul."

"Be smart Maka. If you have me, that's a guaranteed advantage, and a guaranteed win if the others don't have their weapon partners. The sacrifice is going to be a big one. Trust me."

I had to get him back. I couldn't do it without him.

 _Could I?_

"Stop doubting yourself, it's not cool. Show them you're stronger than they think. Show them what you can really do, Maka." Soul softened, and just like that, we were kids again, meeting each other for the first time. We were shaking hands, pledging our loyalty to each other, because I trusted the boy who played me a song that was real and personal, one I felt in my soul. We were learning how to fight together as one, instead of apart. We were beating our first monster, and scoring our first Kishin egg. We were resonating our souls together for the first time, learning every detail about each other that we could. We were two kids falling in love and we didn't even know it.

Two kids who were learning to trust when they had been broken.

I smiled at Soul, glad it was him. Glad I trusted someone worthy this time.

 _Ok._

 ** _Go, Maka. Go and win._**

 _I will, I promise._

* * *

 _Maka is about to meet the hero of her story, and it's not the boy in a cell, although, he's her sidekick._

 _I love all of the twists that are going to be coming up, and truthfully, I had every intention of breaking Soul out in this chapter, but sometimes you just write what you write, and this is the result! Also, I hope everyone understands the tournament, it was a lot and I may not have described it well enough! Let me know if I need to clarify!_

 _Thank you to those who like this story and tell me to keep writing, you guys are where my motivation comes from :)_

 _Stay tuned!_

 _-mor_


	9. nine

I had approximately four and a half hours left to learn everything I could about how to become a weapon. Soul tried to walk me through the basics for a few minutes, but after those lessons got me nowhere, we decided upon one plan of action.

When all else fails, ask Professor Stein.

There were no rules during this free period, why couldn't I ask my professor for help?

The Death Room was supposed to be off limits to students except for emergencies, but I was sure this qualified. At least, it was an emergency for me.

"Professor Stein!" I huffed, heaving air due to all of the running I had been doing.

"Ah, Maka. What is it you require?"

"I need you to teach me how to be a weapon." Stein smiled, and I suspected he knew I would come here all along. My father, however, was shocked, letting his mouth drop open like he was staring at a spectacle.

"My Maka wants to be a weapon now, I'm so hap- "

"Maka CHOP!" I swung my arm and struck my father over the top of his head. That man needs to learn there's a right time and place for everything.

"I knew you would come." Stein approached me, stepping over a bleeding Spirit in the process. "Let's begin."

"Wait, that easily?"

"This is your free time, isn't it?"

"Of course." On the outside, I kept my cool, but on the inside, I was overjoyed. For once, things were going according to plan.

We spent the next hour going over technique. Boring stuff really, but it was necessary. I already felt the shift in my soul, it was gearing up for a transformation. I just knew it.

"Okay Maka. See the blade, feel the blade, be the blade. Picture it in your head, and become the weapon hidden deep inside of you."

 _The weapon deep inside of me?_

"How do I know what weapon I am?"

"You'll know." Stein said, satisfied.

I searched my soul, really searched it. I sifted through nonsense memories, until I found memories at my core. Memories that really mattered to me, even now.

What I found surprised me.

I expected more of my Mother, but only two memories stuck out in my mind of her.

* * *

 _It was an early morning; my mother was rushing. I smelled breakfast, and ran downstairs._

 _"_ _Mama, did you make pancakes?"_

 _"_ _Yes, dear. Go sit at the table, I'll be right out." She kissed the top of my head, and I smiled, skipping to the table. A perfectly happy five-year-old girl._

 _"_ _Mama, where's Papa?"_

 _"_ _He had to leave early." She sounded weird. Now I knew it was because my dad never made it home last night, but at the time I just thought her voice cut out. She was sick all the time back then, although I blame my dad for that now._

 _She carried two plates of pancakes out onto the table. She took out a knife, and before I could do anything, she buttered my pancakes first. I don't know why, but it made me cry._

 _"_ _Honey, what's wrong?"_

 _"_ _You always t-take care of me, Mama. I j-just wanna take c-care of you, too!" I heard the clatter of silverware, before my Mother scooped me into a hug, holding me as I cried. She was shaking, and I realized she was crying, too._

 _"_ _That's not your job, Maka. Sometimes, you need to let other people take care of you, sweetheart."_

* * *

 _"_ _Want me to read you a story tonight?" Mother asked me. This memory was a few months later._

 _"_ _No, I'll read_ you _a story."_

 _"_ _Okay." She laughed. I walked over to my bookshelf and pulled out a picture book. I don't remember what it was called, or what it was about, but I wanted it nonetheless. I couldn't even read at the time, so I just told my own story based on the pictures._

 _My mother just smiled at me the whole time, even after I was finished._

 _"_ _Honey, that was a lovely story."_

 _"_ _You think so? Want me to tell another one?"_

 _"_ _Sure, sweetie."_

 _I told my mother seven different stories that night using the same book. Each time she told me she loved it. When I asked her which one was her favorite, she said she couldn't choose, but she told me little things she liked about each of my stories, so I knew she had been listening._

 _That's when father had come home._

 _I heard the door shut, and when she heard dad's footsteps down the hall, her face changed. It was a demented look, one that made her look ten years older, yet eleven years younger at the same time. She looked tired and deceived. She looked like a ghost of my mother._

 _I grabbed her arm, as she turned to leave. "Mama, it's okay." I smiled at her, so wide my eyes closed. I wanted to make her face go away. I wanted my mother back._

 _When I looked at my mom again, her face was back to normal. She even managed a smile before she left, although it never reached her eyes._

 _That's when I knew my mother was gone._

* * *

I gasped. The memories flowed out of me like a river, encompassing my mind fully until I forgot my surroundings. I barely had time to recover before another memory came to pass.

* * *

 _"_ _Maka, look at me please." My dad sat across from me in an ice cream shop, desperately trying to grab my attention. I promptly refused. It was a week after mom had left, and I still hadn't looked at him._

 _"_ _I'm sorry I can't bring her back, but ignoring me isn't the answer."_

 _"_ _Mama was the one who cooked for me. Mama was the one who listened to my stories before bed. Mama was the one who was always home. Mama was the one who picked me up from school. Where were you, Papa?" Then I looked at him, long and hard._

 _He looked defeated. "Maka, honey, I- "_

 _"_ _I don't want your excuses anymore, Papa! Wasn't Mama good enough for you!"_

 _"_ _I will always love you and your mother more than anyone else in the world, do you understand, Maka?"_

 _"_ _Then where were you?!" I slammed my hands on the table, as hard as I could. My father put his head down. "If you loved us, where were you?" My voice cracked, and I felt my father flinch._

 _"_ _I'm sorry Maka. I just want to make it better now."_

 _"_ _I know, and that's why I will never forgive you."_

 _"_ _What… sweetie, why?"_

 _"_ _You want to fix what you broke, but you didn't just break it. You demolished it. It's beyond your capabilities now, and it's beyond my will to forgive. I hope you understand."_

 _"_ _That's high talk Maka."_

 _"_ _I'd rather talk high than play low."_

 _We finished our ice cream in silence._

* * *

 _"_ _Papa, you're home tonight, can you read me a story?" I was little, at a time before my mother had to read to me instead of my father. He used to read to me all the time back then._

 _This was one of those times._

 _"_ _Maka, I want to talk to you tonight. No books."_

 _"_ _Okay, Papa." He looked serious, so I scooted over in my bed, and let him climb in next to me. I leaned my head into his side and he put his arm around me, pulling me close and kissing me on the forehead._

 _"_ _Maka, you know I love you, right?"_

 _"_ _Of course, Papa!"_

 _"_ _I only want what is best for you, and you may not understand it now, but I would give anything to see you happy…" He paused, before continuing. "I know you hate seeing your mother sick, sweetheart. I'm going to try and make her better, okay?"_

 _"_ _I just want Mama to be able to come out of her room, Papa."_

 _"_ _I know sweetie." He kissed me on the forehead again, despair clinging to every word that left his mouth. I could see the moon from outside of my window. It was so full and bright that Death City didn't even need lights to see that night. I remember wishing my mother could be as bright as the moon was. Maybe then she wouldn't be so filled with darkness. Maybe then she could leave her room, and read to me, too._

 _"_ _Things are going to change around here, Maka. But whatever happens, just know that I did it for you, and for your mother, okay?"_

 _"_ _Okay, Papa. What is going to change?"_

 _"_ _Everything, sweetheart. Everything." He held me that night until I fell asleep, like he was savoring something not meant to last._

 _I should've been savoring it, too._

* * *

"Papa…" I whimpered, drawn out of the memory. Stein glanced over my way, and his face lit up like I was making progress. I wanted to feel accomplished, but all I felt was emptiness.

 _What had my Papa been talking about?_

 _What did he mean?_

 _Why didn't I remember it until now?_

I was being pulled into another memory.

* * *

 _"_ _Play me a song." I told the boy sitting at the piano._

 _"_ _Cool guys don't play because someone tells them to."_

 _"_ _Well aren't you making me desperate." I rolled my eyes at his red ones. His soul burned a little brighter, before he turned his back to me and played._

 _The first note he struck sent me into a trance._

 _I had seen his soul before I met him, and I knew we would be a good match, but I never imagined this. His playing was dark and eerie, like death itself put into a song._

 _But it was also life._

 _I felt the tug and pull of the song. Every single chord the white-haired boy played had me inching closer to him. It was a perfect melody._

 _A melody meant for me._

 _When he was finished, he turned around to face me._

 _"_ _This is me, no gimmicks, just the truth. Cool guys don't lie to girls."_

 _"_ _My name's Maka." I stuck out my hand to him. He looked at me warily, never extending his hand, but offering me his name instead._

 _"_ _Soul."_

 _"_ _I want to be your partner, if you'll have me."_

 _"_ _Are you sure?"_

 _"_ _Absolutely."_

 _He reached out his hand, and we shook on it._

* * *

I felt the change before it was happening. First my left arm, then my right. My skin glowed brilliantly, before two white blades took the place of my forearms.

I took a deep breath.

 _"_ _How do I know what weapon I am?"_

 _"_ _You'll know."_

I did know.

I knew all along.

"Brilliant." Stein said, amazed.

"Oh ho, Maka!" Lord Death exclaimed.

"My Maka…" I saw my Papa looking at me from across the room, as a single tear rolled down his face, so sincere I felt my heart break in two. Here was a man who had hurt my mother and I countless times, over and over again. But here was a man who had also saved us, even if we didn't know it. A man who I had blamed for so long.

A man I owed everything to without even knowing it.

I thought of Soul, and I thought of everything he's done for me, everything we've been through. I just wanted to make him proud to be my weapon. I wanted to feel worthy of someone like him.

Lastly, I thought of my mother, who was the reason behind it all. I became the one thing she fell in love with, I became the one thing my father gave his life to, and I became the one thing that brought Soul to me in the first place.

I became a weapon of the people I loved most.

 _I became the white scythe._

* * *

 _I hope you loved delving deeper into Maka's mind with me!_

 _I know in the anime Maka's scythes were grey, but that was when she was unconscious and unaware. I feel that if Maka had been awake and understood exactly what she was doing, they would have been white and pure and lovely and everything good that we know and love about her. I know I said this was going to be based off of the anime, but heaven help me, I wanted her scythes to be white, okay?_

 _I hope this satisfies you all until I can write the next chapter, and as always, thank you so much for the love and support!_

 _Stay tuned :)_

 _-mor_


	10. ten

"Papa, I'm so sorry." I mumbled. As soon as my concentration broke, the two scythes disappeared, my arms taking their rightful place again.

He rushed forward, as serious as I've ever seen him. He knelt in front of me, stroking my face, and wiping away my tears just like he used to do to me when I was a little girl. It made me cry harder.

"Maka, honey, what's wrong? You did so good, sweetheart… shh, it's okay." I sobbed into his shoulder, hating myself for denying him all these years.

"Papa, what did you do to us? What did you sacrifice?" I stopped shuddering, wanting a clear answer for once. Papa stopped moving, almost flinching at my question.

"Maka…"

"Maka, it's almost time to start the first round of fighting. You should prepare, and practice more with your blades." Stein interrupted.

"But- "

"Maka, go honey. We'll talk later."

"No, Papa, wait! Wait a sec- "

Stein was holding me back, as I watched my father walk out of the Death Room; head down and sulking.

"Let me go!" I barked at Stein, but he didn't let go until my father was long gone.

"Maka, now is not the time to think about other matters. You need to focus on the one at hand."

I shook my head, but I knew he was right. I could always found out what my father did later. This contest, however, was happening now.

"I need some air." I walked out of the room with no objections from Lord Death or Stein.

* * *

The city radiated in the evening. String lights lined the streets, the vendors brought out the good deals to sell out, and the liveliest people came out at night.

It was joyous.

But it was missing someone.

My mind drifted back to Soul, who I left stranded in a prison cell.

 _How could I have just left him there?_

To keep my mind off of him, my father, and this competition, I practiced turning unsuspecting parts of my body into scythes. I could turn all ten of my fingers into a scythe no problem, but my toes were a bit more difficult. I reckoned that since I was used to wielding a scythe, it was easier for my hands to grasp the concept of becoming one. \

I felt a chill run down my neck, so I turned down an alley, hoping to deter whoever or whatever I sensed from following me. I continued practicing, trying to act as normal as I could. My feet became scythes almost instantly, but as soon as I tried to walk, my weapon form fell apart, melding back into my feet immediately. I cursed my inabilities. I was better than this. Smarter than this.

I tried again, but it was the same result. Another chill ran down my back, making me shiver.

 _What the he-_

"Now, what is a young, pretty thing like yourself doing alone at this time of night?" I whipped my head around, and found myself greeted by three boys my age, except they looked bigger than the ones at the DWMA. A lot bigger, mind you. A tingle of fear traveled up my spine, followed by a wave of panic. I've never been confronted before without my weapon, and I had a feeling they weren't attacking to kill. No, they were after something worse. I could see it in their perverted eyes. Suddenly, I wanted to scream for help. I've never wanted to do that before.

 _Pull yourself together._

One deep breath, in and out.

"Yeah, why are you all alone?" The one with curly blonde hair asked. "A girl like you shouldn't be walking around all by herself, it's dangerous in this city, don't you know?"

"We could keep you company." The tallest one said.

"Come with us." He had the same voice as the one who spoke first. I could tell he had authority over the other two boys. They looked sheepish standing next to him.

"What? Are you shy?" Curly head said.

"I don't want trouble, just let me pass." They were blocking the only exit out of this alley… well, the only exit they knew of.

"We don't want no trouble either girl, but if you give us some…" He lowered his voice, and looked me dead in the eye. "We won't give you a choice, sweetheart."

"Oh please." I huffed. "You guys play too much." I was trying my best to sound confident. The second they found my fear, it was over. They would pounce like a pack of Kishin eggs on a foreign group of girls. I was a delicacy to them, a tiny, helpless girl who was so small she couldn't possible pack her own punch.

Then it dawned on me.

 _I don't have Soul._

 _I don't have my weapon._

They saw the shift in my posture, thinking it was their words that made me squirm, when in reality, it was my own.

 _But I'm a weapon, too._

 _Please work._

My body started tingling, and I could've cried out in relief. One by one, my arms and feet turned into scythes; the brilliant white blades reflecting the street light that was barely filling the darkness around us.

The three boys backed away, the look of fear now flooding their features, not mine.

I didn't even have to move, or fight. I had already won. I didn't have to worry about my powers failing, because I struck them mentally, before things even got physical. If they couldn't use their fists, they couldn't fight at all.

 _I could do the same in the trials…_

"Boss…"

"Go… GO!" All at once, the three of them ran over each other trying to get out of the cramped space we were in. I smirked as their "leader" pushed the other two to the side, and tripped over his own two feet trying to get out of the small space we were in.

After a few more seconds of struggle, they were gone.

I did it, and I didn't even have to raise an arm.

 _Could scare tactics work?_

I thought about Black Star, and how he waltzed into danger like it was nothing.

 _Would he fear the unknown?_

No, if anything, Black Star would marvel about how cool I looked, and then throw a punch. He didn't scare easily. But maybe Kid would, especially if I made my scythes unidentical. Kim seemed fragile, too. Even Ox and Kilik would hesitate to fight a meister-weapon.

New hope filled my head. Finally, I had a solid foundation to build off of. If only I could walk…

I was still standing in the alley, weapons out and ready. I released my arms from my magic, and watched in awe as they turned back to normal with a flash of light. I kept the scythes on my feet, taking a second to study them more closely.

They were curved upward, lacking the straight edge of a blade. I tried using this to my advantage. Instead of walking flat footed, maybe if I rocked forward when I walked, I could use the curve to plant my foot down more securely? I rocked forward on my right foot, and immediately toppled over. But by the fifth time, I had walked a good ten feet before I fell. By the sixth? I was already out onto the road again.

The blades reflected the light of the lamps lining the street, shining on the concrete on either side of me. It was irreverent to my practice. It was just light, right? Just a simple reflection.

 _Then what the hell was that?_

But there were grooves in the reflections, just like the grooves I was now noticing on my white blades. I bent down, eager to study them more. With grace, I managed to sit on the sidewalk, checking my surroundings before running a hand over my scythes. With my fingertips, I could feel slight bumps and ridges covering them in patterns I could recognize.

The reflections were different, you see. I never would have noticed it if I was just casually walking around. But my scythes were still a mystery, meaning I had to watch them closely. I had to watch them for things like this.

In the reflections were words. I could make out a few, like "blood", "path", and "book", but there were a few words that looked layered. It would take someone like Stein to break them apart. I originally thought the scythes were replicas of each other, saying the same things. But the words on my right scythe were in a different order than the ones on my left.

My mind was spinning, my heart racing faster than usual.

 _Has Soul ever noticed something like this?_

 _Wait, Soul!_

Turning my scythes back into feet, I raced towards the DWMA.

The trials would be starting soon, and he would want to see this.

I want him to see this.

 _I want to see him._

I hope he wants to see me, too.

* * *

"What did you do to Maka?" Soul asked Stein.

"Nothing, she simply came to me for help. In fact, you were the one who lead her to me. I must thank you for your cooperation."

"You lying bast- "

"Ah, now Soul, don't lose your head with me. I may not be so kind as to put it back on again."

"But you forced me, she doesn't even know!"

"That's the price you pay, Soul. You know that, and every weapon in these cells knows that. But you didn't know it at first, did you?" Soul turned his head, not able to look Stein in his eyes anymore. He clenched his fists, hating this contest more and more with every passing second.

 _Maka…_

"It's for the best, Soul Eater. Now, she will win, and you will both become second-star."

 _I'm…_

"All you have to do now, is be quiet, little mouse."

 _I'm…_

"Be quiet, and everything will be alright."

 _I'm sorry._

"She'll learn to accept the things she can't control, just like you did. Not everyone gets a demon, Soul. Sometimes, they get something pure."

 _I'm so, so sorry._

"Of course, sometimes they get something much, much worse."

 _Forgive me._

* * *

 _I am terribly sorry for the lack of updates. From being sick, to school starting again, this page crashing, and the complete overload of things to accomplish in my busy schedule, I have not been able to write much :(_

 _I do blame most of this on a terrible case of writer's block, however. I was sitting pretty at 500 words for forever, before I finished this!_

 _I know it's not as long as the other chapters, but the mysteries are just getting started, and I couldn't give too much away! You won't want to miss this._

 _Also, if you have any meisters you are dying to see fight in the battle rounds, let me know! I'll definitely take suggestions of good matchups!_

 _Thank you guys so much for bearing with me! Your support keeps me going!_

 _Until next time._

 _-mor_


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